CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Giving students and families the ability to have more options when it comes to schooling is just one of the discussions currently taking center stage at the state capitol this week as all of the legislators make their return.

The West Virginia Virtual Academy (WVVA) hosted the WVVA School Choice Week Celebration at the capitol Monday ahead of the regular legislative session set for Wednesday.

The event brought over 50 families with WVVA to have the opportunity to meet with lawmakers regarding the benefits of school choice and virtual schooling through WVVA, the K-12 virtual public school which launched in the state in 2022.

Doug Cipoletti

Head of School for WVVA, Doug Cipoletti said it was very beneficial for lawmakers to get to hear from students directly as to why virtual school is working best for them.

“Being here in person allowed elected officials to realize that we are not just behind a computer screen, we are West Virginians,” Cipoletti said.

The day at the capitol was also meant to shed some light on the virtual academy’s Career and College Prep program, which helps students gain real-world skills and explore career and post-secondary pathways.

WVVA Academic Administrator Cheryl Stahle said this prep program creates a personalized plan for their students while they obtain their high school diploma.

“We have students who are maybe looking for technical schools, we have students looking for your four-year and two-year colleges, we also have students looking to enlist in the military, so we want to make sure all of our students graduate high school with some sort of plan, and not only a plan but the tools to get them there,” Stahle said.

Cipoletti said they have an agreement with Pierpont Community and Technical College in Fairmont where juniors and seniors can take up to four classes per semester, which WVVA pays for.

He said it’s just setting the students up for post-secondary success in whatever way that looks like for them.

“We’ve got it set up where kids can have well over an entire year of college under their belt, if that’s an avenue they want to pursue, if it’s not, they still have industry-recognized credentials where they can be a productive member of society,” he said.

The West Virginia Virtual Academy is now in its third year.

After starting with K-10 schooling options in 2022-23, WVVA then began offering classes for 11th grade students last year, and now they offer options for seniors as well.

Cipoletti said they have their first graduating class of over 100 students this year and are planning to have an in-person and live-streamed graduation on May 20.

He said this virtual schooling option seems to work for the students who attend for a variety of different reasons.

“If you look at the health of many of our students if they have lots of doctors appointments, this is a great option, if they live in a remote area where they have to be on a school bus for over an hour, this is a great option, they could have been bullied, they could have any number of reasons,” Cipoletti said. “They could have thrived during Covid and now they’re back in a regular brick and mortar and they’re not doing well.”

School choice simply gives families other options outside of their local public school districts with not only virtual school, but charter schools, homeschooling and private schools as well.

Stahle said this virtual academy, however, is an option that truly defines what it means in regards to school choice.

“We want to make sure kids have a very well-rounded education, which they get academically, they get it socially, they get extra-curricularly such as through National Honors Society, the school newspaper, Minecraft Club, we want to work really hard to make sure students have an incredible experience,” said Stahle.

National School Choice Week occurs January 26- February 1.

Following his inauguration in January, Governor Patrick Morrisey issued an executive order vowing to make school choice a priority in his administration.

WVVA was issued a proclamation from the Senate President during their event at the capitol on Monday.